Rings and their generic properties in NetHack 3.4

ring-341.html Last edited 2003-03-09 for NetHack 3.4.1
Compiled for 3.2.2 by Kevin Hugo.
Updated for 3.4.1 by Dylan O'Donnell <psmith@spod-central.org>.
HTML Conversion by Kate Nepveu <knepveu@steelypips.org>.

Contents

[Editor's note: For ring effects, see rint-341.html.]

RING COST WGT PROB CHG
meat ring $5 1 0  
adornment 100 3 1 Y
hunger 100 3 1c  
protection 100 3 1 Y
protection from shape changers 100 3 1  
stealth 100 3 1  
sustain ability 100 3 1  
warning 100 3 1  
aggravate monster 150 3 1c  
cold resistance 150 3 1  
gain constitution 150 3 1 Y
gain strength 150 3 1 Y
increase accuracy 150 3 1 Y
increase damage 150 3 1 Y
invisibility 150 3 1  
poison resistance 150 3 1  
see invisible 150 3 1  
shock resistance 150 3 1  
fire resistance 200 3 1  
free action 200 3 1  
levitation 200 3 1  
regeneration 200 3 1  
searching 200 3 1  
slow digestion 200 3 1  
teleportation 200 3 1c  
conflict 300 3 1  
polymorph 300 3 1c  
polymorph control 300 3 1  
teleport control 300 3 1  

Rings are listed in increasing order of base COST, then alphabetically by name. WGT specifies the weight (100 zorkmids weighs 1).

Rings comprise 3% of all randomly-generated items in the main dungeon, 5% in containers, 5% on the Rogue level, and 8% in hell. PROB is the relative probability of each subtype; the suffix specifies the chance of blessed/cursed:

c 90% cursed, 10% uncursed, 0% blessed
charged 42.93% cursed, 41.33% uncursed, 15.73% blessed
Courtesy of Bruce Cox:
  +ve +0 -ve  
blessed 181/1200 1/240 7/3000 = 59/375
uncursed 1/3 1/60 19/300 = 31/75
cursed 19/1200 1/240 307/750 = 161/375
otherwise 10% cursed, 90% uncursed, 0% blessed

Rings of invisibility carried by Nazguls are always cursed.

The CHG field is Y if the ring can be charged. The initial enchantment has an exponentially-weighted probability, but tends to be in the range of -3 to +3. When a ring with a positive enchantment is charged, it has an (enchantment before) in 7 chance of exploding. Rings with enchantments of <= -5 or >= +7 will always explode when charged. Otherwise, blessed charging adds 1 to 3 enchantments, cursed charging has a 50% chance of removing one enchantment, and uncursed charging always adds +1. Therefore, the highest possible enchantment is +9 by charging and +10 by random generation. You may repeatedly enchant and unenchant a ring.

The effects of rings are controllable by putting on and removing the ring. Most rings will confer an intrinsic or a combat or stat modifier; see rint-341.html and drgn-341.html for descriptions of the intrinsics involved. It is possible to obtain an effect permanently by polymorphing into a metallivore or gelatinous cube (depending on the appearance of the ring; see below) and eating the ring. There is only a 1/3 chance of obtaining the effect this way ("Magic spreads through your body as you digest the ring."). Note that the effect of eating rings that affect stats (gain constitution, gain strength, adornment) will not persist when you change from this form. Eating a ring of free action will confer sleep resistance instead. Rings of slow digestion may not be eaten ("This ring is undigestable!").

Meat rings have no effect when worn, but can be eaten as normal food (see food-341.html). The appearances of other rings are randomized from the following descriptions. These can be eaten by any metallivore (rock mole, rust monster, or xorn):

The following can additionally be eaten by metallivores not restricted to rustprone metals (rock mole or xorn):

The following can be eaten by gelatinous cubes:

These appearances cannot be eaten by any monster:

You can determine the appearance of already identified rings using the discoveries command (\).

Wearing a ring (other than a chargeable ring at +0) will increase the rate at which you get hungry; see food-341.html.

Identifying rings using sinks

When a ring is dropped on top of a sink, you will get a message that can help you identify the ring. Note that most messages require that you are not blind, and the ring of hunger requires that there is a (preferably worthless) object already on the sink; if these are not the case, you will just get "You hear the ring bouncing down the drain pipe." Except for the rings of searching and slow digestion, there is a 95% chance that the ring will fall down the drain and you will lose it forever.

RING MESSAGE
meat ring "Several flies buzz around the sink."
Works when blind.
adornment "The faucets flash brightly for a moment."
hunger If you are unblind and there are any items on the sink (except ball or chain) and they fail a resistance roll, they disappear:
"Suddenly, <item> vanishes from the sink!"
protection "The sink glows silver/black for a moment."
depending on non-negative/negative enchantment.
prot from shape changers "The sink looks nothing like a fountain."
stealth "The sink seems to blend into the floor for a moment."
sustain ability "The water flow seems fixed."
Works when blind.
warning "The sink glows white for a moment."
aggravate monster "Several flies buzz angrily around the sink."
Works when blind.
cold resistance "The cold water faucet flashes brightly for a moment."
gain constitution "The water flow seems greater/lesser now."
depending on non-negative/negative enchantment.
Works when blind.
gain strength "The water flow seems stronger/weaker now."
depending on non-negative/negative enchantment.
Works when blind.
increase accuracy "The water flow hits/misses the drain."
depending on non-negative/negative enchantment.
Works when blind.
increase damage "The water's force seems greater/smaller now."
depending on non-negative/negative enchantment.
Works when blind.
invisibility "You don't see anything happen to the sink."
poison resistance "You smell rotten <fruit>."
Works when blind.
see invisible "You see some air in the sink."
shock resistance "Static electricity surrounds the sink."
Works when blind.
fire resistance "The hot water faucet flashes brightly for a moment."
free action "You see the ring slide right down the drain!"
levitation "The sink quivers upward for a moment."
Works when blind.
regeneration "The sink looks as good as new."
searching "You thought your ring got lost in the sink, but there it is!"
You never lose the ring.
Works when blind.
slow digestion "The ring is regurgitated!"
You never lose the ring.
Works when blind.
teleportation "The sink momentarily vanishes."
conflict "You hear loud noises coming from the drain."
Works when blind.
polymorph "The sink momentarily looks like a fountain."
polymorph control "The sink momentarily looks like a regularly erupting geyser."
teleport control "The sink looks like it is being beamed aboard somewhere."

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Bruce Cox for proofreading the original version of this file.
Further corrections and clarifications provided by Irina Rempt.


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